Marines in the Revolution: A History of the Continental Marines in the American Revolution 1775-1783 - Couverture souple

Smith, Charles R

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 141022466X ISBN 13 : 9781410224668

Editeur : University Press of the Pacific, 2005

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Note: This is a rare work on the early history of the Marine Corps. Since it originally was published a number of years ago in a much larger format, we had to reduce it to a reasonable 8.5x11 inches. Readers may note some darkening of several page edges from the reduction process. Also several paintings have been reduced in size. All information has been retained and none of these minor appearance changes impact readability. Please enjoy this wealth if information.(SJP) Marines are as old as naval warfare itself. When Themistocles mobilized Athenian sea power against the invading Persians ¡n 480 B.C., one of his first decrees was to order the enlistment of Marines for the fleet. These men, called Epibatae, or "heavyarmed sea soldiers," fought in the Greek triremes at Salamis which turned back Xerxes and saved Athens. Later, Rome had what Polybius described as milites classiarii (soldiers of the fleet), a category of Roman soldier organized and specially armed for duty on board warships, usually quinqueremes of the line. During the middle ages, ordinary soldiers were frequently embarked on board ship to provide a fighting backbone, but it was not until the naval wars of the 17th century that the distinct and organized role of Marines was almost simultaneously rediscovered by the British and Dutch, who raised the first two modern corps of Marines ¡n 1664 and 1665, respectively. Americans of the 17th and 18th centuries were notably a maritime people. The British colonies were close to the sea, but scattered along a coast line of more than a thousand miles, so that, in the absence of good roads, intercommunication was almost completely by water. Ocean trade also, chiefly with England and the West Indies, was extensive. Fishing was one of the most important industries, especially of the northeastern colonies, and the handling of small vessels on the Newfoundland Banks during all seasons of the year trained large numbers of men in seamanship. The whale fisheries likewise furnished an unsurpassed school for mariners. A considerable number of colonists, therefore, were at home upon the sea and, more than this, they were to some extent practiced in maritime warfare. England, during the 17th and 18th centuries, was at war with various European powers a great part of the time, and almost from the beginning of the colonial period American privateers and letters of marque scoured the ocean in search of French and Spanish prizes. Large fleets were also fitted out and manned by provincials for various expeditions against foreign-held territories. The first of these expeditions to employ Americans in a capacity as Marines was that launched by Admiral Edward Vernon against the Spaniards in the War of the Austrian Succession. British Marines, after the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, were practically disbanded; only four invalid companies remained. However, with the outbreak of hostilities with Spain in 1739, King George Il took measures to re-establish the Marines. On 15 November, in his address to the House of Commons which opened Parliament, the King stated that the prosecution of the war would require "a number of soldiers to serve on board the fleet," and he "judged it proper, that a body of Marines should be raised." The following month, an Order ¡n Council decreed the formation of six regiments of Marines, each with an authorized strength of 1,100. Increases soon followed among them were three regiments organized in the colonies and placed under the command of Colonel Alexander Spotswood of Virginia.'

Présentation de l'éditeur :

On 10 November 1775 the Second Continental Congress authorized the raising of two battalions of Marines. From this small beginning we have seen the United States Marine Corps grow into a powerful force for the nation's security. In this volume, through the actions and words of the participants, we read of a small Marine force which promptly challenged Great Britain's control on both land and sea. Our first amphibious raid landed in the Bahamas on 3 March 1776, capturing gravely needed munitions, and proving to the foe that the infant American Marine Corps was a threat to be reckoned with. Likewise we read of small bands of Marines who dared to stand in the way of British troops at Princeton, New Jersey, and Charleston, South Carolina. And we also learn of the little-known Marine expedition down the Mississippi River under naval Captain James Willing in 1778. Historians, past and present, all too often neglect completely the maritime history of the American Revolution or they pass over it with superficial attention. Mr. Charles R. Smith has corrected this omission with respect to Continental Marines. Based on extensive and careful research, the author has rescued from oblivion those actions from which our modern concepts of amphibious warfare have grown. Original artwork used to illustrate this volume was prepared by Major Charles H. Waterhouse, USMCR. A free-lance illustrator, Major Waterhouse's work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, ranging from children’s books to his forthright interpretations of the war in Vietnam, published under the titles, Vietnam Sketchbook-Drawings from Delta to DMZ, and Vietnam War Sketches-From the Air, Land and Sea. The original text and artwork have been used in this publication; occasionally there may be instances of imperfections with these old texts (i.e., blurred or missing pages, poor image quality).

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: University Press of the Pacific
• Date d'édition: 2005
• ISBN 10: 141022466X
• ISBN 13: 9781410224668
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 516